40 firms to participate in green hydrogen auction in Duqm 

Muscat: Engineer Abdulaziz bin Saeed Al Shaithani, Director General of Renewable Energy and Hydrogen at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, confirmed that there is a good demand by investors from outside the Sultanate of Oman for the two investment opportunities offered in the field of green hydrogen in Duqm, as about 40 companies have applied for the purchase of pre-qualification documents to participate in the auction for the two opportunities.

He said in a statement to Oman News Agency: It is hoped that the total investments that will be attracted in the field of green hydrogen until the year 2030 will reach more than $20 billion US dollars, through the development and implementation of projects covered by the first package, which consists of 6 investment opportunities distributed in two phases. The first was launched, and the second will be launched in the second quarter of next year.

He added that according to the plan drawn up by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals with Oman Hydrogen Company, the first project agreements and the possibility of signing the second project agreements will be signed during the first quarter of 2023, followed by the announcement of other investment opportunities concentrated in the Dhofar Governorate, and it is hoped that they will be signed by the end of next year.

He said that by signing these agreements for the projects planned to be implemented in the field of green hydrogen, the Sultanate of Oman will achieve its goal of producing at least one million tons of green hydrogen by the year 2030, noting that the ministry has announced the Sultanate of Oman’s strategy for green hydrogen and the bidding system for opportunities. investment in this field.

He said that the ministry is currently studying the best options for developing current legislation in order to attract more investments in the field of green hydrogen, and to develop a clear-cut strategy for the energy transition journey, explaining that the orientation in the first stage is to export green hydrogen, while striving with the concerned authorities to develop local demand. The Sultanate of Oman continues the concerted efforts between the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, and government companies represented by Oman Hydrogen, OQ Alternative Energy and the Asyad Group in exploring new markets for export and promotion. To invest in this promising sector, taking advantage of the memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements that were signed between the Sultanate of Oman and a number of countries targeted as markets.